Improved car-coupling



HIHUGHES. Car Coupling. I No; 55,870. I Patented June 26.1866.

fnifenlaz' N-PETERS. PHOYO'LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, Dv C UNITED STATESPATENT OFFIClE O HIRAM HUGHES, OF SAVONA, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED CAR-COUPLING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,870, dated June 26,1866.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates toanew and improved car-coupling of that classwhich is commonly called se1f-coupling; and it consists in a pivotedlatch and a suspended bar arranged within a draw-head and used inconnection with a link or shackle, as hereinafter fully shown anddescribed, whereby a simple and etficien t self-acting orself-connecting coupling is obtained, and one which will admit of beingreadily disconnected when desired.

Arepresents a draw-head, which maybe attached to a car in the usual way.This drawhead has a mortise, a, made vertically through it, in which alatch, B, is fitted and works on a pivot.b. which isabout two-thirds thelength of the latch from its front end.

The front end of the latch B is provided with a pendenthook, c, and therear part of the latch is formed with two pendent projections, 61 61,one at each side of the pivot b, which projects down through the mortisea of the draw-head, and the pivot 7) passes transversely through thelower part of the draw-head some distance below the line of the hook c,as shown clearly in Fig. 1. v

To the top of the draw-head there is attached a spring, 0, which has atendency to keep the latch pressed down; and on the pivot 11 there issuspended a bar, D, out of center, the front part of said bar (theportion in front of the pivot) being considerably longer than the rearpart, and proportionally heavier, so that the rear part of the barwill,;in consequence of the (See Fig. 1.)

superior gravity ofthe front part, press against the rear pendentprojection, d, of the latch and assist the spring Gin keeping the hook 0down,

and by pressing or drawing up the front end' of the bar D the front partof the latch B will be forced up and the link or shackle disengaged.This bar D may have a cord or chain attached for the purpose of thusactuating it. This result may also be attained by a chain or cordsecured to a ring, 0, on the front end of the latch B. This chain orcord, as well as that connected to the pivoted bar D, may be carried toany part of the car so as to be convenient for the brakeman or otheremploye to operate.

The link or shackle (designated by B) will, on entering the draw-head,force up the front part of the latch B, so that the hook 0 will beforced into it, and this link or shackle maybe so constructed that itmay be fitted in either the ordinary draw-head or in my improveddraw'head, or one end fitted in my improved draw-head and the other inthe ordinary drawhead, my improved draw-head being provided withshoulders f, to serve as bearings for the end of the link or shackle.

This coupling cannot casually disconnect itself, while it will connector engage itself with certainty in 'the event of two cars coming incontact. The frequent accidents now caused byrailroad employs passingbetween the cars to couple and uncouple them will be avoided. Inconsequence of the pivot I) being below the line of the hook c, the pullon the latter by the link or shackle will have a tendency to press thehook down in the link or shackle.

I disclaim the hook c separately considered.

Having thus described 'myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- The combination of thelatch B, with its catch c andpendants dd, of the form shown, and the pivoted bar D, operating incombination with a suitable link, E, in the manner and for the purposeherein specified.

HIRAM HUGHES.

Witnesses:

J. G. MALLORY, J. D. BARNES, G. W. HAMMER.

